Launching satellites from airborne platforms using solid rocket motors has been developed. For example, the Pegasus rocket is carried aloft under an L-1011 aircraft and air-launched to carry a satellite into orbit. However, liquid fueled rockets, which have a higher specific impulse and can hence provide better payload mass fractions than solid propellant rockets, have not been air-launched because of complex fluid control and propellant management requirements.
Therefore, a need exists for a system for air-launching high-performance liquid-fueled rockets from airborne platforms.